Autoworkers Letter to Obama
To: President Barack Obama
From: Concerned Autoworkers, Retirees And Supporters
Re: Auto Industry Crisis & Global Climate Change
Date: July 14, 2009
Dear President Obama,
Your administration has reported that 400,000 jobs in
the auto industry have been lost during the economic
downturn. Though some jobs have been saved, many more
will be lost through the bankruptcy restructuring
implemented by the Auto Task Force at Chrysler and GM.
Economists are predicting a slow recovery at best and,
in any event, the market for autos and trucks will
remain diminished for years to come. We in
in the automobile and manufacturing centers throughout
the
comprehensive solution is required.
We believe that the economic crisis is interwoven with
an environmental one - that, in the words of NASA
scientist Jim Hansen, we face an "irreversible tipping
point" if we don't act swiftly to reduce our carbon
footprint and therefore positively impact global
climate change. We believe this fact requires
rethinking our country's manufacturing priorities.
Instead of laying off workers and devastating working-
class communities, we believe the combination of crises
demands a bold proposal that can put people back to
work and address global climate change. We believe this
can be done, and done creatively.
Until the recent fall in vehicle sales, auto use was
contributing 20% of all annual U.S.greenhouse gas
emissions (more than four tons per person) and 40% of
all
who drove to work in 2007, 76% drove alone. Fewer than
5% used public transportation. Eighty percent of the
total
30% in the cities. Yet few cities outside
have an adequate system of public transportation.
Clearly we must turn from an energy-inefficient, auto-
centered society to one that increasingly uses mass
transit along with energy-efficient vehicles. That
means prioritizing buses, light rail, high-speed trains
and the tracks they run on. Manufacturing also needs to
be geared toward building wind and water turbines as
well as solar panels. Instead of attempting to
resuscitate automobile companies, we should be building
a Transportation and Energy Industry for the 21st century.
Your administration has taken a positive first step by
creating two blue ribbon task forces; The White House
Task Force on Middle Class Families, called "Promoting
American Manufacturing in the 21st Century", chaired by
Vice-President Biden, and the "White House Council on
Automotive Communities and Workers", under the
leadership of Labor Secretary, Hilda Solis and Larry
Summers, your Chief Economic Advisor. You have charged
them with the tasks of preparing American industry for
the future and supporting "manufacturing communities and workers."
We welcome these initiatives and urge you to ensure
that the size of the ideas being considered match the
size of the problems we face. The problems
confronting us must be addressed holistically, the
leadership must be visionary in its approach and the
solutions must be innovative and far-reaching rather
than politically expedient crisis management. To that
end, we offer the following ideas:
First, because, we the people are now major
stockholders in GM and Chrysler, we believe that it
would be in the national interest to assume direct
ownership of the GM and Chrysler plants that are closed
or closing (as interest on our investment) to expedite
the retooling and conversion of these plants for the
manufacture of the products that we have mentioned above.
We must start now, so that by 2010 we will be well on
our way to creating the jobs of tomorrow. We have the
facilities, the equipment, the skilled workers to be
able to complete this in record time. All we need is
the political will to do so.
We know this is not a pipe dream because it was at the
start of
massive conversion of existing auto plants for war-time
production was completed in just eight months. The
obstacles that had to be overcome were not technical,
but political. It behooves you and your administration
to take on the threat of global climate change - and
the dislocations in the automobile industry - with the
same sense of urgency and gravity that President
Franklin Roosevelt acted upon then.
Additionally, it is our understanding that Chrysler and
GM own a large number of patents for green technology.
We encourage a thorough review of these patents and
believe that any technology that GM and Chrysler own
that they have no plans on utilizing in the next three
years, be appropriated (again, as interest on
investment) and uses found for these technologies.
Your administration is in a position at this moment of
great peril, to create a new paradigm - for addressing
the
lead on combating global warming. We urge that - in
this defining moment - you reiterate your pledge that "yes we can!"
Signed,
Bill Alford, former President, UAW Local 235 (AAM), Detroit, MI
Theresa Barber, UAW Local 663,
Al Benchich, former President, UAW Local 909 (GM), Warren, MI
Edward Blakley, UAW Local 653,
Michael Bloom, UAW 549,
Tony Browning, UAW Local 1700,
Brenda Caldwell, retiree, UAW Local 977, Marion, IN. Metal Fabricating Plant
Allen Cholger, Staff Rep., United Steelworkers, District 2
M. Crosby, UAW Local 2209,
Connie DeVol, retiree, UAW Local 2151, Coopersville, MI(closed)
Dave Elsila,
Katie Elsila, UAW Local 1981
Dianne Feeley, UAW Local 235 (AAM),
Bill FletcherJr., Center for Labor Renewal, co-author - SolidarityDivided
David Green,
Frank Hammer, UAW-GM International Representative, retired
Julie Hurwitz, Attorney
Michael Heaton, C.A.W Local 1285 (Chrysler)
Robert Ingalls, UAW (retired)
Barbara Ingalls, ITU/CWA
Glenn Jackson, UAW Local 5960,
Cheryl Jameson, UAW Local 292,
Michael S. Japowicz Sr., UAW Local 594,
John Kavanaugh, UAW Local 235(AAM)
Jack Kiedel, UAW Local 686,
Thomas Lacas, G.M. Unit, CAW Local 199, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Sharon McAlpine, UAW Local 235, AAM,
Lew Moye, UAW Local 110 Retiree,
Elly Leary, UAW Local 422,
Robert E. Niethe, UAW Local 686, Lockport, NY, retired
Hiroko Niethe, UAW Local 686, Lockport, NY, retired
Glenn Brian Reday, GM UAW recently retired, Local 435 Wilmington, DE
Eric V. Reuther, son of UAW pioneers, Victor and Sophie Reuther
John S. Reuther, son of UAW Pioneer, Victor G. Reuther
Alexander "Sasha" Reuther, grandson of UAW Pioneer Victor G. Reuther
Michael Rynca, UAW Local 5960,
Joretta Rynca, UAW Local 651,
Paul Schrade, former UAW International Executive Board Member
Clay Smith, UAW Local 2166,
Jeffrey Stallman, IUE798, GM Moraine (closed Dec. 23, 2008)
Sam Stark, UAW retiree
Thomas W. Stephens, Policy Analyst, City of
James Theisen, UAW Local 212,
Wendy Thompson, former President UAW Local 235 (AAM) Detroit, MI
Carole Travis, former President,UAW Local 719,
Jerry Tucker, former UAW International Executive Board Member
Brett Ward, UAW Local 1700,
L. M. Wittek, UAW Local 2151, Retired,
Robert M. Woods, UAW Local 699,
Please send all correspondence to:
Autoworker Caravan
c/o Frank Hammer
20033 Renfrew
<fkhammer@ameritech.net>
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